This phase II trial studies how well giving cisplatin and irinotecan hydrochloride together with radiation therapy works in treating patients with esophageal cancer or gastroesophageal junction cancer that can be removed by surgery. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin and irinotecan hydrochloride, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving combination chemotherapy together with radiation therapy before surgery may make the tumor smaller and reduce the amount of normal tissue that needs to be removed.